Csilla Varga: Identity Problems of National Minorities. The Situation of the Hungarian Minority in Slovakia

The situation of national minorities has been analysed on wider basis by many international and also Hungarian experts, scholars, mainly from legal, political and sociological aspects. A number of special proposals have been put forward in order to make minority rights more enforceable, and applicable on a larger scale. Reality shows, however, that the practical implementation of these proposals has several obstacles. Therefore, rather efforts for keeping the topic on the agenda and maintaining a dialogue about the problems of national minorities could possibly lead to a more favourable outcome. This study deals with the identity formation of national minorities, also covering difficulties connected with practicing these rights. The author pays particular attention to the Hungarian minority living in Slovakia, and also focuses on the attitude of the government towards their problems. She also examines which regulations should be adopted in order to enable national minorities to exercise their rights in practice as well.